Coal scam: Court directs CBI to further probe matter

New Delhi: A special court on Wednesday ordered further investigation in a coal blocks allocation scam case, involving Vikash Metals and Power Ltd and its officials, in which the CBI had filed a closure report.

The court also directed the CBI to file a further progress report of the probe and fixed the case for November 10.

"Vide separate order the matter has been referred to CBI for further investigation under the provisions of the CrPC. Copy of the order passed be sent to Director, CBI and to all the DIGs, CBI who are supervising the investigation of all coal blocks allocation cases.

"Put up for submission of progress report on further investigation on November 10," Special CBI Judge Bharat Parashar said.

The court also told investigating officer (IO) Rajbir Singh that the further report should be thorough and the agency should also give proper reasons in support of the conclusion drawn in the report.

"I hope you will now probe on the line of the court's earlier order and if you differ in your conclusion, then give detailed reasons for it," the judge said.

During the last hearing on September 30, the court had pulled up the CBI officers for the way they handled the probe in a coal blocks allocation scam case, saying the agency's officers "lacked basic skills of investigation".

It had ordered its Director and all concerned DIGs to personally look into the matter failing which they would be held "responsible".

The court had also observed that the agency officers were withholding documents from it for the reasons best known to them and even the statement of witnesses, recorded during the probe into the case, was not placed before it.

The judge had also said that CBI officers were not following the basics of the CrPC and even their crime manual during investigation of the case.

Even after repeated directions by the court, the CBI officers were not paying any heed to it, the judge had said.

In September 2012, the CBI had registered an FIR against Vikash Metals and Power and its officials, accusing them of making false claims related to land allocation to get undue advantage in the coal block allocation.

The FIR was registered against Vikash Metals and Power, its directors, including Vimal Patni, Vikash Patni and Anand Patni, and Anand Mallick who was the authorised signatory for the company.

They were booked for the alleged offences under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC.

CBI had earlier said that Vikash Metals and Power wrongly claimed that it had been allocated 300 acres of land in Begusarai in Bihar by the Bihar Area Development Authority.

The agency had found that the land was de-allocated and directors of the company failed to inform the screening committee members about it, it had said.